Appendix D - General Education Assessment

A reasonably short list of outcomes that faculty value—not just a master list of all the individual GE course learning outcomes.

ACCJC General Expectations for Student Learning

“General education has comprehensive learning outcomes for the students who complete it, including the following:

a. An understanding of the basic content and methodology of the major areas of knowledge: areas include the humanities and fine arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences.

b. A capability to be a productive individual and life long learner: skills include oral and written communication, information competency, computer literacy, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis/logical thinking, and the ability to acquire knowledge through a variety of means.

c. A recognition of what it means to be an ethical human being and effective citizen: qualities include an appreciation of ethical principles; civility and interpersonal skills; respect for cultural diversity; historical and aesthetic sensitivity; and the willingness to assume civic, political, and social responsibilities locally, nationally, and globally.” (Standard IIA3)

Alignment with Learning Outcomes can be ensured/verified through:

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Course Certification

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Periodic Course Recertification

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Alignment Projects—critical examination of course learning outcomes on syllabi, assignments, and exams to verify alignment with GE Learning Outcomes; may survey or interview relevant faculty or students to understand how well the courses are addressing the relevant outcomes.

Possible Levels of Assessment:

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Individual class sessions (classroom assessment within specific course sections)—probably too detailed for program assessment purposes, but could lead to important improvements in individual courses.